Cainta revives free nightly meal program for residents

CAINTA, Rizal — The municipal government of Cainta has revived its “One Cainta Pantry,” also known as the “CAINTAyo” feeding program, to provide free nightly meals to residents, particularly those in informal settler communities.

From Monday to Friday starting at 5 p.m., the mobile pantry will visit different areas in the town to serve up to 300 individuals per night.

To ensure efficiency and cleanliness, the local government has opened a central kitchen at the One Arena, where personnel from the General Services Office prepare meals daily to help reduce costs.

Under a buffet-style system, residents are encouraged to bring their own plates and utensils.

“We will serve the food buffet-style to prevent anyone from taking home excessive leftovers. To save on costs, the General Services Office staff will handle the daily cooking,” Mayor Keith Nieto said.

Nieto said the program will run throughout the year, noting that providing even one meal a day offers meaningful relief to families.

“Being able to provide even just one family dinner is already a significant contribution to their daily expenses,” he said.

The mayor added that each municipal department will be assigned a schedule to assist in food serving and distribution. He said the initiative also aims to give government personnel a better understanding of the daily struggles faced by residents.

Nieto also clarified that he does not intend to be present at every pantry visit or featured in photos, stressing that he wants to preserve the “sacredness” of the program and keep it free from politics.

The program was relaunched last Friday at San Buena Compound in Barangay Sto. Domingo, with the next stop set in Gruar.

Originally launched before the COVID-19 pandemic, the feeding initiative began on January 30, 2019, along Westbank Road in Barangay San Andres, where free meals were served nightly to residents.

Nieto earlier said he pushed for the revival of the program after seeing its positive impact on communities.